Sound Off

Published
12:00 am CDT, Monday, October 20, 2008

Jim Kulp hit the nail on the head in his column "Downtown Alton needs a facelift." With all respect to Downtown Alton Inc. and Pride Inc., who have done some really nice beautification in and around downtown, what is needed is something on a larger scale. The city is decades behind the times on getting itself cleaned up from its industrial past. That's the past! People today want clean, beautiful business districts and neighborhoods, but we only get lip service from the city.

I cannot believe the people that are so infatuated with Palin. If she would only write her own speeches, it might be a help to her. I personally feel that McCain's own campaign people are hurting him more than helping him. They persuaded him to choose this woman that knows nothing. She hasn't done her own research on facts of our government. I am not impressed with her and I know many that aren't. It is hurting our Republican Party.

To the lady who was hoping Ralph Nader would be on the presidential ballot this year in Illinois, I am not sure if he will be. There are other alternatives. The Green Party has 60 candidates, including their own presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney. She takes no corporate donations.

The new road Alton's building that links the Berm highway with Broadway will help, but I noticed in the paper it will have a concrete median, not a beautiful landscaped median, and nothing was mentioned of trees lining the boulevard. Why can't the city make Alton's newest entry at least somewhat attractive so we can make a good first impression?

To all of you that made a big deal out of Obama not wearing his flag pin, he wore his the other night during the debate but McCain did not. Are you going to make a big deal out of that? I doubt it. See, people do make mistakes and being the good Christians that we are, one of the first things we were taught was to forgive. God is the only one to be judging us. We are not qualified.